Jurgen Klopp has no immediate alternative target who is available, but Liverpool are primed to react during the remainder of the transfer window should that change.

Discussions between Liverpool’s sporting director, Michael Edwards, and his counterpart at RB Leipzig, Ralf Rangnick, took place last week about the possibility of signing Keita now instead of on July 1, as was agreed in the summer.

But the Bundesliga side released a statement today insisting that the Guinea midfielder will stay until the summer and that the player and his agent accept the situation.